Buganda Road Court Chief Magistrate Ritah Neumbe Kidasa on Friday granted maverick lawyer and human rights activist Male Mabirizi bail.

Mabirizi had been on remand for months and 60 days without trial.

Chief Magistrate Kidasa ordered Mabirizi to pay cash bail of shs1 million and deposit his passport with the court.

She also ordered him not to leave Uganda without the court’s written permission.

His sureties were ordered to pay a non-cash bond of shs5 million each to ensure that Mabirizi returns to court whenever required.

The sureties were also ordered to provide details of his permanent place of abode for verification by a court official.

The Chief Magistrate further ordered Male not to interfere with prosecution witnesses and directed him to attend court in person on every date the case is fixed for hearing. Failure to comply will lead to the automatic cancellation of his bail.

What charges is he facing?

Mabirizi is facing three charges arising from a TikTok publication allegedly targeting Chief Justice Flavian Zeija and Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court Justice Musa Ssekaana. He accused the duo of being “corrupt and fraudulent.”

The Magistrate court based its decision on Article 23(6) of the Constitution, which mandates the release on bail of an accused person who has spent more than 60 days on remand without trial for a crime that is not capital in nature.

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Mabirizi’s request to have the case dismissed because the complainants had failed to appear in court was strongly declined.

The court said prosecution of criminal charges is conducted by the Director of Public Prosecutions, not the complainants.

Mabirizi was arrested on February 3, 2026.